Frank j



S. D. WORK, Ja.

CURRENT DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.19, 1920.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921 BEST AVAILABLE CO? PATENT OFFICE.

-- samurai. :0. WORK, 311., on NEW YORK, n. Y.

-- cunnniwr-nrs'rnmurnn.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Applicatioirfiled. November 19, 1920. Serial no. 425,955.

To allwhom it mag concern."

Be it known that L'SAM EL Worn, Jr., a citizen of the United-States; and a resident of the borou h of Queens, county of Queens, city and tate of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulCurrent- Distributer', of which the following is'a specification. I I l The invention" relates'fto devices for distributing an electric current from a battery, generator, or othersource of electric energy, to the sparking devicesj'of the cylinder or cylinders of an internal-combustion engine. The device illustrated in the accompanying drawings and; described "in the following specification and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims is designed particularly foruse in connection'with a Ford automobile, but it is to be undeistdod-that the invention is not limitedto such use; and the same may be carried out in connection with other ignition systems onother forms of automobiles .and with internal combustion engines for purposes other than driving automobiles.

The objects of the inventionjare to produce a device for the purpose described wherein perfect contact will .be 'madeat'all' times; wherein perfect breaking ofthe circuit'will be accomplished; wherein fouling of the con tacts will be avoided which will be cheap to manufacture; which will not easily get out of order; which will be easy 'of repair; which will be self containedfand wherein short circuiting of the'c'uirent'willb'e avoided.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately.

One embodiment of the'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,' in which like parts in all of the several figures are designated by similar characters-of ref; erence,' and in which- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a hood or casing embodying the invention, the engine cam shaft being shownin section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section, the section being taken 'on the line indicated by 22inFig.1.'-

Fig. 3 is a detailend elevation of what is neg considered the preferred form of cam, an

Fig. l'is a detail side elevation of the same.

In the drawings 1 designates the cam shaft of an internal-combustion engine of any preferred type, and projects through the frame thereof into a shell or casing 2 secured to the outside of said frame thereof, and carried on the projecting end of the shaft is a cam which, in the" embodiment of the invention illustrated consists of a cylindrical sleeve 3 having a cam portions, which latter is provided with a longitudinal keyway in which is inserted a key 5 preferably of hardened steel. "The sleeve is provided with a pair of'opp'ositely disposed radial notches 6, and is secured to the shaft 1 by means of apin 7 which passes through the notches and the shaft.

Carried within the shell or casing is a plu 'r lity of radially disposed contacts each comprising'a binding post 8 carried by and radially arranged within the cylindrical por tion of the casing and suitably insulated therefrom,aiid carried 'by each binding post is an S-shaped spring contact member 9,

whichissecured by-one of its legs to the binding post. Each binding post is insulated from the casing as by means of a collar of insulating material surrounding the same where it passes through the shell of the casing, and insulating washers engaging the inside and outside of the wall of the casing. The members are preferably formed of sheet steel bent toform and hardened. The members 9 are so proportioned and arranged that each, as a whole, projects radially inwardly from its supporting binding post 8 and into the path of the blade or key 5 when the latter is rotated by the rotation of the shaft 1. The inner leg of the member is preferably slightly inclined relatively to the path of travel ofthe blade 'or key 5 whereby the latter will always make elastic contact with the member.

The shape of the members 9 is important in that while there is considerable length to each member to provide for elasticitytherein, thepoint of contact of the cam is substantially radial with the binding post, and

will be practicably no vibration of the -members and such as does occur will be in the short inner straight end ofthe member which cannot vibrate to such an extent that it will moveout otjhe pathgof the bladei5- no matter how fast the latter may be moved.

Rigidly secured to"'e'ach binding post 8 and within the,casing 2 a leadwire l0, and'all' o' f'tl'ie' l'ead wiresa're gathered into a cable llevhich passes through an opening 12 in the lower side of the shell or casing and each wire is connectedto a spark plug, as is common Y i I The shelh and with it, the contact members, is rotatably mounted on the engine casing concentrically with [respect tothe cam shaft 1, and is provided with the usual connections 13 with a (steering wheel (not shown) or other control, whereby the contacts may be shifted to. advanceor retard the spark, 'as is common.

The contact members 9 are completely isolated one from the'other and danger of short circuiting'is reduced to a minimum. YVhile the binding posts areillustrated as extending outside of: the casing, it is to be understood that such binding posts may be entirely withinthe casing if desired.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,the principle of the invention has been ,described together with the apparatus which is now considered to represent the best embodimentthereof, but it is desired to have ait understood that the apparatus shown I is merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other wa-ys.

Having now described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Let- .ters Patent, is

l, A device of the character described, comprising a rotating contact member, and a stationary plicatcd spring contact member adapted to be engaged and wiped by the rotating member, said spring member being arranged radiallyrelatively to the rotating memberQ a 3 v 2. rcdevice of the character described, comprising a rotating contact member, and a stationar plicated spring contact member anchored at one endand adapted tobe engaged and wiped by the rotating member, said spring member being arranged radially relatively to the rotating member,-said movable member being adapted to engage the free end ofthe spring member.

:3. A device v of the character described, comprisingasupport, a plicated spring contact member carried by the support, a rotary seer avaims U R element, a contact member having a free end carried by the element and adapted to periodically engage the spring member, said spring member being secured to the support by one end thereof, said rotary member engaging and wiping the free end of the spring member.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a support, an ogee bowed spring contact member, carried by the support, a

rotary element, a contact member carried by the element and adapted to periodically eng e the spring member, said ogee member being secured to the support by one of its legs, said rotary member engaging and wiping the other leg of the ogee member.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a cylindrical casing, an element concentric to the casing and adapted to rotate relatively thereto, a cam mounted on the element, a plurality of elastic contact members carried by the casing and spaced apart, said members projecting radially inward, said members being of ogee form and secured .to and insulated from the casing, one leg of each member being free and lying in the path of travel of the cam whereby the latter may contact with the free legs of the members.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a cylindrical casing, an element concentric to the casing and adapted to retate relatively thereto, a cam mounted on the element, a plurality of elastic contact members carried by the casing and spaced apart, said members projecting radially inward, said members being of ogee form, one leg thereof being secured to and insulated from the casing, the opposite leg of each member being free and lying in the path of travel of the cam whereby the latter may contact with the free legs of the member and means for completing an electric circuit between a member and the cam.

7 A device of the character described, comprising a cylindrical casing, an element concentric to the casing and adapted to rotate relatively thereto, a cam mounted on the element, a plurality of elastic contact members carried by the casing and spaced apart, said members projecting radially in ward, said members being of ogee form and secured to and insulated from the casing, one leg of each member being free and lying in the path of travel of the cam whereby the latter may contact with the free legs of the members, and a conductor in electrlcal contact with each contact member within the casin 8. device of the character described, comprising a cylindrical casing, an element concentric to the casing and adapted to rotaterelatively thereto, a cam mounted on the element, a plurality of elastic contact members carried by the casing and spaced apart; said members projecting radially inward, said members being of ogee form and secured to and insulated from the casing one leg of each member being free and lying in the path of travel of the cam whereby the latter may contact with the free legs of the members, {111d 11 conductor in electrical contact with each Contact member within the BEST AVAiLABLE COP.

casing, said conductor passing through the 10 wall of the casing at a common point.

This specification signed and witnessed this 17th day of Nov., 1920.

SAMUEL D. WORK, JR.

Vitnesses FRANK J. NIANN, J. F. COLEMAN. 

